Album Review: “Metal Resistance” Babymetal

Album Review: “Metal Resistance” Babymetal

If this is your first listen to Babymetal, prepare to cringe, particularly if you’re not an avid listener of the heavy metal genre. With that being said, once you’re over the initial “eh, what?” they’re pretty great. Honestly. I just wish I knew Japanese.

I instantly knew that the instrumentals on “Road to Resistance” – the first track on the album – were the work of Dragonforce, and thought that was a pretty nice introduction. However, it was “Karate” that really brought the fan out in me: it’s fun, energetic, and the repeat value is high. “Meta Taro” is perhaps the most fearless track, proving that Baby Metal are up for experimenting with different sounds. They project a Viking Metal influence here, and create a piece of music that is definitely worth a mention.

The major downside for me was the presence of that cliché mainstream pop formula. It works for some, but unfortunately tracks “Awandama” and “Yava” were too poppy for my liking. Not awful, but not great. “No rain, No rainbow” was a miss for me too. The instruments were overkill and the song didn’t piece well together. The absolute worst track on this album though had to be “Sis Anger”. I have no sound logic, it was just annoying.

Let’s finish up on a positive note though, just as this album does! Credit to “The Tales of the Destinies” and “The One”. Dream Theater are responsible for the instrumentals on The Tales, which fits really well here. Nevertheless, “The One” is absolutely the perfect track to wrap this album up. Easily another favorite. Check out the choreography on the video to this song too: it’s crazy.

Without a doubt, Babymetal are paving the way for a whole new genre of music. I for one am excited about what this band is going to bring to the table, and the new music that will unfold as a result. The high pitched voices gel with the traditional sounds of the heavy metal genre and produce interesting pieces that work. These girls are not a gimmick. It’s evident that they are passionate about renewing the metal genre and contributing their creativity and energy. I wasn’t so much a fan of their old stuff, but I really dig “Metal Resistance”. Sure, metal may lose some of that masculinity it clings onto, but perhaps that’s a good thing. It’s 2016, after all! Don’t forget to check out other music reviews on The EXP Grind.

The Good

The high pitched voices gel with the traditional sounds of the heavy metal genre